Keeping Promises
by Ac3MaGi
Summary: Under threat of bodily damage from ballean i can't turn it into yaoi... so this is post arrancar arc and prewar. R & R pls. Pointing out of typos also much appreciated. Disclaimer: Bleach still belongs to Kubo Tite.
1. Problems

Okay… This is post-arrancar arc and pre-war. So that means Orihime is back in Karakura town. New fic! This one is centric around Ichigo and Ishida and I'm going for the whole friendship thing… The threat of bodily harm from ballean is the only thing keeping me from turning it into a yaoi fic in later chapters, so yeah….

XXX

"… but, you must swear that, henceforth, you must have nothing to do with the Shinigami…"

The offer had been made so many months ago, but in his mind, it remained one of his most vivid and thought-upon events. However, it was not Ryuuken's offer that haunted him, but his own reply.

"…my Quincy powers, I wish to regain them. Not just borrowed powers, but powers of my own…"

"And?"

"I swear that I will have nothing further to do with Shinigami, or their allies…"

At that point in time, the choice had been clear and unquestionable, but now…

"Ohayo! Ishida-kun!"

He was brought out of his thoughts by a cheery voice. He looked up to see Inoue beaming down at him. Since returning from Hueco Mundo, she had acted as though the whole event had not taken place. But he knew, that inside, the failure to destroy the Hougyoku was still weighing at her conscience. He returned the greeting and watched her jog over to join a group of chattering girls.

Life had pretty much returned to normal since their mission in Hueco Mundo. But, with the showdown in winter drawing ominously close, he knew that it was merely the calm before the storm. What was most worrying however, was, despite having regained them, he had been experiencing increasing difficulty in harnessing his Quincy powers.

Techniques such as Hirenkyaku (flying screen step) now took much more effort than before. Furthermore, he was now tiring out much faster than before while fighting. He had not realized as much in Hueco Mundo, but now in the material world where spirit particles were so much less abundant, the problem had suddenly become so much more pronounced.

Up till now, his pride was what had been keeping him from looking up his father. But he knew that sooner or later he would have to see him. If he had to swallow his pride to get to the bottom of the matter, then so be it…

XXX

Very short chapter I know but this is just an intro. Okay fine… I can't write extremely long chaps like other authors seem capable of but I hate when I have to scroll for a million years just to read one story… following chapters are longer…


	2. Decisions

I actually didn't wanna post this so soon because I haven't written that many chapters yet… but boredom does stuff to you. Ryuuken doesn't have that many appearances, so i'm just gonna make him an ass… " btw, I'm gonna refer to Ishida Uryu as Ishida and his dad as Ryuuken since that is what most people are used to. Although technically they are both called Ishida… 

XXX

Standing in front of the hospital administrator's office, Ishida was fighting an inner battle. Although the decision had already been made, he was still in conflict on whether he was really willing to rely on his father _again. _At the same time, he marveled at how he could charge into battle without hesitation but was now unable to open a door to see someone who was supposedly his father.

Straightening out his thoughts, he grasped the knob lightly and turned it. The door swung open quickly without so much as a creak. Behind the well-finished wooden desk sat Ishida Ryuuken. He wore his usual white suit and a matching tie, which was patterned with blue crosses; something to be wondered about as Ryuuken claimed to have no interest in the Quincies, but now wasn't the time for that. He was the splitting image of his son, save for his hair which was completely white. Yet his face was ageless without a single crease or wrinkle in sight. As Ishida stepped into the office, Ryuuken's cold voice rang out.

"So you've come." He said curtly.

Ishida's eyes widened, but Ryuuken did not elaborate. How did he know he would be coming? He had been concealing his spirit pressure since leaving school so there was no doubt about it. Ryuuken had been expecting him…

After momentary silence Ryuuken spoke again. "I assume you are here to find out the meaning behind it? The reason why you cannot fully utilize your powers, am I right?"

That settled it. Ishida was stunned, but voiced out his opinion nevertheless. "You said that the training would restore my Quincy powers, was that a lie?"

"That is why you are still a fool."

Ishida tried to protest against the unfair statement, but was cut off again.

"Were really so naïve to believe that fully regaining your powers would be such a simple matter? Did you truly think that regaining your lost powers would be so easy?"

Taken aback, Ishida opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and closed it again. Satisfied, Ryuuken went on.

"Unfortunately for you, fully regaining one's Quincy powers takes two steps. Before you had already begun the second step, but you chose to abandon it. You chose to work with that shinigami and enter Hueco Mundo. That was your first mistake."

As soon as he heard his father's explanation, an ominous feeling began welling up in the up in the pit of his stomach. Before he had think to think, Ryuuken confirmed that feeling.

"You have one last chance. This time you will have to truly distance yourself from the shinigami. The task ahead will require your full concentration so hopefully this time, you will _sever_ your connection to the shinigami."

Ishida's head jerked. How could he have known? But he had no choice. "Understood."

"It's your choice… Shinigamis… or your powers…"

Ishida sat on his bed brooding, something he seemed to be doing a lot lately. But this was a crucial decision, one that once it was made, there was no turning back. If His father could detect the concealed crimson spirit thread hovering behind him, it meant that his own spirit power was no longer strong enough to fully conceal it. That alone was a big push. He sat up. If he accepted the offer this time, he could become more powerful. But it was at the cost of losing his friends.

Sado… Inoue… Kurosaki…All of them were important to him. And although they acted otherwise, he knew that his bond with Ichigo was the strongest. Nevertheless, he understood. He needed to let go. It was for the best. Not only for him, but for everyone. Keeping things as they were would only burden his friends. That alone was the one thing he could not bear. He buried his head in his hands. If he chose the path his father had offered, although he could no longer call them his friends, he could still protect them. Materializing the red spirit thread, he grasped it lightly in his fingers. He knew it then. He did not want to be a burden. Nor did he want his friends protecting him.

"This is right." He told himself.

He had decided. If his feelings were the only cost, then so be it. He severed the connection between red and blue. Sinking down onto his bed, he welcomed the darkness that consumed him with open arms.

On the other side, Kurosaki Ichigo jerked awake. He felt as if something had just gone terribly wrong. Suddenly, he saw his red spirit thread hover in front of him, the end ragged as if it had been torn; just like the first time. Realization flooded him.

"Ishida…?"

XXX

Gonna end it there. It is in my opinion that Ichigo and Ishida always seem to find each other somehow, so I'm thinking there's some sort of connection between their spirit threads. I promise following chapters won't have as many long annoying author notes…


	3. Distance

This is from Ichigo's point of view/perspective now. That's all I gotta say.

XXX

What was the meaning behind what happened last night? He had spent the entire night wondering about it but nothing came to mind.

"I'll just ask Ishida at school I guess."

It was already morning and sunlight was creeping through his curtains. He pulled them open and changed into his uniform. Bending down to get his bag, he saw Kon staring up at him.

"Oi Ichigo, what's with that face?" Kon said.

"What face?!" he snapped back, wondering if his worry was showing on his face.

"You've been up all night thinking about something."

"Nah, it's nothing." Ichigo replied, wondering why Kon was suddenly so concerned about him.

"Seriously, there's no point in asking since you're such an idiot and everything shows on your face anyway…" Kon said turning around with a shrug.

Irritation and fury getting the better of him, Ichigo shouted: "Shut up!!" followed by aiming a kick at the stuffed lion which sent the plush doll flying into the cupboard.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing, you-" Kon began, but he was cut off by Ichigo slamming the cupboard door in his face.

"Just stay in there until I get back, idiot." He said, closing the room door behind him; shutting out the sound of Kon's frantic flailing against the cupboard door.

Satisfied, he made his way down the stairs. When he got to the dining room, he was greeted with the smell of breakfast cooking. "Eh? Nii-san, you're up early." Yuzu said as she turned away from the pan to set the table.

"Huh? Oh…" Ichigo said, realizing that he was up an hour earlier than usual.

"Err.. I just thought that I'd go to school earlier today…" he said.

He thought that it was a weak excuse, but Yuzu bought it and answered cheerfully.

"Oh, then here." She said, proffering some slices of buttered toast.

"Thanks." He said, before going out the door and down the path towards the sidewalk. With his mouth full of toast, he walked and pondered on about the previous night. He knew that Ishida always went to school early so he would be able to ask him without too much trouble. He quickened his pace and soon reached the school. Brushing off the breadcrumbs from his uniform, he quickly made his way in.

He made his way up the stair without much hassle, but when he reached the classroom, he pushed open the door to reveal an empty classroom. Except for a bag on Ishida's seat, he saw nothing and no one else.

"He probably when to the restroom or something…"

At first, he contemplated going there to find Ishida himself, but as he did not want to seem so worried, he set down his bag and waited.

The classroom was filling up, but Ishida's seat remained empty. Every time someone entered the classroom, his head would jerk up, but it was never Ishida. He returned greetings briefly before turning his attention back to the door. Then, he saw that unmistakable slim frame fill the doorway. He had a book in hand and his bangs were hanging in front of his eyes. Ichigo stood up and made to move towards his, but as Ishida turned towards his seat, he was followed by the teacher entering the class.

"Good morning everyone!" the teacher chirped.

The class returned her greeting monotonously.

"Everyone return to their seats and let's begin." She said and began taking attendance.

Ichigo sat back down scowling. "Damned it." He thought. Turning to Ishida, he saw that he already had his books out and was flipping through the pages. Ichigo's eyes searched Ishida's face but his expression was cold and unreadable.

The day crept on slowly and when the last bell finally rang, he flung his books back into his bag… only to find that Ishida had already gone. "Not again." He thought.

The entire day, Ishida seemed to disappear immediately after the bell rang. He usually ate lunch alone in the classroom, but today he seemed to have disappeared before anyone had even gotten up from their seats. He did not know if Ishida was avoiding him on purpose, but Inoue and Sado had received the same treatment.

"That bastard… what the hell is he up to…?"

Running down the hall to catch up with Ishida, he saw him at the gate and called out, "Ishida! Hey, Ishida!!", while trying to catch up to him.

But Ishida simply turned and vanished around the corner. By the time he got there, Ishida was no where to be seen.

Ichigo slammed his fist against the wall. Fury and confusion raging inside of him, he shouted: "Just what the hell is going on?! ISHIDA!!!"

XXX

Ok… next Ichigo will disappear again just cause I love Ishida more… xD but he'll be back again after I get all the blockage out of my brain… bangs head on desk


	4. Hajime!

I have a feeling this is going to be an extremely long story… Ishida starts training waves Quincy flag

XXX

Today worked out perfectly. Through pin-point timing and careful planning, he had managed to avoid his friends, especially Kurosaki. He walked up the road towards the white hospital building, as a sense of uneasiness started setting in. Today would mark the start of his training, but what did Ryuuken have in store for him?

As like before, Ryuuken took him down to the underground training room. Though he wasn't overly fond of that place, it was, admittedly a good place to train. In addition, there, he would not be detected, which was exactly what he needed.

When they got to the centre of the cavernous training room, his father suddenly swung around, and shot an arrow towards him. He dodged it, barely, and watched it streak past his ear; burning off a few strands of hair. The arrow hit the ground, exploding with such force that it sent shards of rubble streaking in every direction.

"What do you think you're d-" he started, but was interrupted by Ryuuken.

"Shoot your Kojaku arrow."

"What?" he asked, but under his father's cold expression, he formed his bow uncertainly and pulled back the bowstring; preparing to fire.

Aiming at nothing in particular, he released the arrow. It flew towards a pillar, and upon impact, made a small explosion, but left only a small hole in the concrete. Ryuuken didn't say anything, nor did he need to, as the expression on his face plainly read: "Pathetic."

"Your first objective: Increase the speed and power of your arrows."

With that, Ryuuken turned and flash stepped away. At first, Ishida was shocked and indignant. How was he supposed to accomplish the task if Ryuuken didn't leave any instructions?! But he knew getting angry wouldn't get the job done. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, drew another arrow and sent it to a nearby pillar to gauge his current ability. The arrow exploded against the concrete once more, but left a hole no bigger than the last one.

"Damn it!"

Frustration and anger setting in, he drew another arrow. He pulled it back with more force than he should, and was rewarded by the skin on his wrist, which split open in a clean line. The bow shattered in a shower of spirit particles as he clutched at his arm, wincing. Pulling out a smooth white handkerchief, he tore it into piece, wrapped them around the wound and tied it into place to serve as a temporary bandage. Looking at the slowly reddening cloth bond around his wrist he remembered his first encounter with Kurosaki, their first match. He shook his head, trying to clear out his thoughts. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing

Taking a few more steadying breathes, he stretched his hand in front of him, formed his pentacle shaped bow and prepared to fire again. Not wanting to give Ryuuken the satisfaction of knowing that he had failed, he was determined to succeed.

The enclosed room gave no sign of how much time had passed, but when exhaustion finally overcame him, and he slowly sank to his knees, the room was already riddled with holes, each deeper and wider than the last.

As he rested, he racked his brains for ways to further improve himself. He closed his eye and saw his past battles playing behind his eyelids like an old movie. Each battle could hold some clue to how he could get stronger; he just had to look for it.

From the beginning, he found that drawing the bowstring to maximum could increase the arrow's speed, but this was both risky and unreliable as he ran the risk of overshooting his limits. For now, all he can do is draw it slightly further than usual to slowly stretch his limits. Strength was also a problem. Before, he could draw in spirit particles quite effortlessly, but now, drawing in a similar amount too more time and effort than he should expend. How was he going to counter that problem?

Suddenly, he had a stroke of inspiration. He got to his feet, formed his bow, and slowly pulled back the bowstring…

XXX

Cliffhanger " shot I'm trying to siphon things off the anime and manga so that it's slightly more canon. I seriously think that I'm posting faster than I'm writing now… is lazy


	5. Sucess

Mah eyes…. I had an episode surfing session to better understand the characters before this so that I don't stink up the following chapters… Also I won't lie and say the lack of reviews isn't seriously depressing… falls asleep Zzz…

XXX

Ryuuken sat in his office finishing off the last of the paperwork. Would Uryu be able to find his own way to increasing his power? He believed that every Quincy had to find their own way to power, but up till now, his son had always had help.

Anything from advice to the Sanrei glove, his father had always helped Uryu along the way. But now when it came to standing on his own two feet, would his son be able to succeed?

This was the last hitch in their deal. He knew that Uryu was intelligent, but if he couldn't clear is first important stage on his own, he truly had no talent, and teaching him would be just a waste of time.

Packing up the last of the files, he stood up, adjusted his glasses and went on his way. Locking the door to the office, he wondered how much progress Uryu had made. "If any." He thought.

Descending the stairs to the training room, he glanced at his wristwatch. "8.00 pm." He had been gone for three hours. Entering the training grounds, he saw his son in the exact same spot; high on a pillar in the heart of the room. He saw the point on bow in his hands flashing blue and knew he was about to fire. It was the perfect opportunity to assess his progress.

The materialized spirit particles swirled around the figure, but, instead of forming a solid arrow, faintly, Ryuuken could see them rotating in a fixed path so fast that the arrow seemed solid. "Interesting technique." He thought.

He didn't need to see more, he knew that Uryu had already succeeded. Burying his hands into his pockets, he flashed stepped up the pillars.

High up in the room, Uryu was determined to make this arrow right. His muscles were screaming for air and his face was drenched in sweat. Keeping the arrow steady and the particles in motion, He took aim and fired.

The next instant, the pillar he had been aiming at exploded in a cloud of dust and rubble. The backlash was so strong that it knocked him backwards onto the ground.

Exhausted, he got unsteadily to his feet, panting slightly, as he turned to face the pillar. Judging from the angle at which it had been shattered, the arrow had hit slightly off course. He had succeeded in accomplishing his task, but he still needed to correct his aim. Silently, he thanked the Seele Schneider, for that was where he had gotten the idea from. Also, the fact that a smaller amount of spirit particles was needed to form a normal arrow in this case, it would enable him to keep going for a longer time and further build up his stamina.

After a split second's rest, he felt his father's reiatsu appear behind him. Although exhaustion had hampered his senses, he knew that his father shad seen the shot. Turning to face Ryuuken, his father's stoic face did not come as a surprise. Ishida had not expected nor did he need any sign of approval from Ryuuken.

After a pregnant pause, Ryuuken broke the silence. "Return here tomorrow." Then he turned and walked slowly away.

XXX

Uryu turned to look at the clock. "12 am." If he didn't get some sleep soon he would have a hard time paying attention in school the next day, but sleep was far from his mind. After a long train of thoughts relating to his training, his mind spontaneously drifted to his now, former friends. It was only the first day and they shouldn't get too suspicious yet. But he knew that as time dragged on, a confrontation was imminent. Especially since Kurosaki was already beginning to smell a rat.

School seemed more like ages ago rather than just a few hours ago. He had narrowly avoided encounters with mostly the bright-haired Shinigami all day at school. How long would he be able to keep up the pace? It was Ichigo's damned determination that made it more difficult than it should have been. But he knew. Although on the surface he was cursing them, inside, he was mourning the loss of the friends he had grown to care for and respect. But he had not choice. It was a matter of pride.

Sleep claimed him moments later, just as a ray of moonlight shone through the curtains, illuminating his face in its silvery glow.

XXX

Inspiration pool is in danger of drying up here… I think I'll be dead by the time the chapters hit double digits…


	6. Dreams

New chapter… and I seriously think that at the rate I'm going I'm gonna have over 10 chapters 

XXX

Ishida opened his eyes and found himself among a sea of students. Looking ahead, he saw the three of them, Ichigo, Inoue and Sado walking towards him. He tried to slip away, but the sea of students seemed to close in on him, preventing him from escaping. The three of them drew closer and closer. Left with no choice, Ishida straightened and prepared himself. But when they reached him, they simply passed through him, as if he wasn't there; talking away happily.

Shock, he tried to turn a round, but the floor gave way under him and he fell into the darkness.

When he hit the ground, he realized that he was in the hospital training room. Footsteps. He spun and saw Ryuuken there as well as his friends. As Ryuuken raised the metallic-looking bow, fear flooded him. Without thinking, he lunged with a cry.

"Stop!"

But his hand simply passed through the bow. Ishida watched in horror as the bright blue arrow shot towards his friends like a bullet; and exploded.

XXX

Ishida jerked awake as the sound of the alarm clock ringing filled his ears. His heart was pounding against his chest so hard that he thought it would burst out any moment. His hands were moist and his forehead beaded with sweat. He brought one hand to his forehead, pushing back the stray strands of hair and wiping away the sweat. Taking a few slow, calming breaths, he realized the alarm was still ringing. He groped around the side table and switched it off. Putting on his glasses, he reflected on the dream. Was there any meaning behind it? He got up. Donning his school uniform and tie, he made his way into the kitchen.

Soon, the aroma of breakfast cooking filled the small kitchen. Keeping his eyes focused on the pan in front of him, he had passed off the dream as just another dream. Although he couldn't help thinking about a little, he saw no sense in worrying too much about it.

After eating, he washed up and departed for school. Even without the connection between them, Ishida's ability in sensing spirit pressure was still an asset to him. In addition, Kurosaki, who was not as proficient in this area, would have more difficulty in finding him now that he was keeping his reiatsu concealed. Everything was according to plan. Or so he thought.

XXX

Notoriously short chapter. More of a filler while I fix up the next chapter. And by the looks of it this is going to be one long story… Zzzz….


	7. Confrontation Pt 1

Ichigo finally back in the picture xD. Better late then never I guess…

XXX

Ichigo was running to school. If he could catch Ishida before he had a chance to leave the class, he could have a shot at finding out what was going on. His thoughts turned to the pill in his pocket.

He wanted to use it straight away, but Urahara's warning was still ringing clearly in his head.

"This pill will temporarily completely mask your reiatsu, but, this it still a prototype so it is incredibly unstable. It could lose effect at any moment, so use it only when you absolutely have to…"

If he used it too soon, he would lose possibly his one golden opportunity to find out what was happening. With that thought, he increased bit back the urge to take it and quickened his pace.

XXX

Ichigo had never been good at controlling or sensing reiatsu, heck, to put it bluntly he was just plain lousy. But he had one good source of information, Inoue. Constantly part of the other girls' gossip, she knew a lot more about their classmates than he did. Orihime had recalled Ishida coming up in their conversations before and from there, Ichigo learned on when Ishida normally came to school.

Making a mental note to thank her later, he entered the empty classroom. He had roughly ten minutes before Ishida arrived. But the problem was, how was he going to get the truth? 5 minutes… soon Ishida would be within range to sense his barely-suppressed reiatsu. He buried his hand into in right pocket and brought out a smooth red pill.

"Well, here goes." He said flicking the pill into his mouth. Swallowing, he felt the pill travel down his throat, and when it reached his stomach… nothing happened. He blinked.

"Damn you Urahara-san. How am I supposed to tell if the goddamned pill is working?!" He let out a string of curses. But now, all he could do was wait…

XXX

For the first time, Ishida doesn't appear in a chapter O.O -sobs- K, confrontation is imminent and Ichigo got help from good old sandal-hat xDD Next chapter will be longer I swear!


	8. Confrontation Pt 2

I put the two boys alone together in the classroom to work out their shit. XD Unfortunately it does not go that well for Ichigo . tears at hair

XXX

Ishida was feeling uneasy. He couldn't pick up even the slightest trace of Ichigo's reiatsu. Although he did not leak out as much as he did before, Ichigo's reiatsu was normally fairly easy to detect, and frankly, its absence was something he was slightly unused to.

"Either he's left town, or he's finally learned to control it." He thought, barely repressing a snort. But something in his gut told him it was the latter.

Entering the classroom cautiously despite himself, he found it empty, setting his mind at ease. He pulled out a book to read and proceeded to the door, only to find that he was already cornered.

"Damn." He cursed.

Kurosaki Ichigo was standing at the door. Although his most others would have quailed under the glare he was hooting at Ishida, his fury and determination did not completely mask his obvious confusion. Although Ishida had known that a confrontation was inevitable, he had not expected it to come so soon. For the first time, he did not have a plan. And before he could even try to come up with one, Ichigo broke in.

"What the hell are you up to, Ishida?" he said, his voice conveying a thousand different emotions at once.

"What do you mean?" Ishida replied, keeping his tone nonchalant and cold.

Unable to control his anger, he grabbed the front of Ishida's shirt and slammed him against the wall. "Don't mess with me! First you stop talking to us, and now you start avoiding us altogether. What the hell do you think you're playing at!?" Ichigo shouted, his voice echoing around the empty classroom.

Ishida made to movements to try to escape his grip, but merely stared back at him; his face cold and his expression unreadable.

Faced with this, Ichigo raised his fist and brought it crashing down on the side of Ishida's head. The blow temporarily stunned Ishida and sent his glasses flying across the room. When he opened his eyes, white spots burst in front of his eyes. When he recovered, he realized that Ichigo was still retaining his death grip on the front of his shirt.

"You should see your face, Kurosaki."

He made to pull away, but with Ichigo retaining a tight grip on his uniform, he found that that was not possible.

"Let go." He said.

Ichigo remained motionless. Unable to take it any longer, he swung his own fist upward and felt a sense of satisfaction as it connected with Ichigo's jaw with a thud. As Ichigo's grip loosened, Ishida pushed his aside roughly and started shifting around looking for his glasses.

Sitting on the ground rubbing his jaw, Ichigo was a little surprised. Who knew Ishida had it in him? But he was running out of time. Ten minutes and all he got from Ishida was a bruise on his jaw. Then, an idea struck him.. He bent down and gingerly picked up the frameless, square rimmed glasses. Spinning them in front of almost mockingly, he waited for his reaction.

At first, Ishida didn't notice his glasses in Ichigo's hands, but when a familiar glint caught his eye, he turned and saw them vaguely in the other's boy's hands.

Taking a swipe at them, he missed completely, and felt an angry flush creep up his neck as he heard the other boy snicker.

"Give them back." He said, he said barely repressing his anger.

"Not until you let me know what's going on."

Although he couldn't see his face, from the tone of his voice, Ishida could tell that Ichigo was determined. He knew there was no point in trying to get out of it, and frankly, it was already getting tiresome.

"First give me back my glasses…"

He told Ichigo about the deal with his father, and explained to him the circumstances of his position.

"To hell with your father then!" Ichigo had shouted after he had barely concluded his sentence.

Ishida gave a grimace, but continued to explain it to him.

"Now that you are an ally of soul society once more, the situation has changed."

"But-"

"Things are different now. I have already broken my word once, by still fighting along side you. When Kuchiki-san and Abarai-kun joined us in Hueco Mundo, I could have left then and there but I didn't."

He stood up.

"But, all that is irrelevant now. Now that our objective has been met, I need nothing more to do with you, Shinigami."

Shinigami. He was surprised how that one word from Ishida mouth could hurt that much. Unable to control himself, he tackled the Quincy again. Pinning him against the whiteboard, he shouted at Ishida.

"That's not a good enough reason to avoid everyone!"

"On the contrary, it seems like sufficient reason to me." He said, his eyes diverted away from Ichigo's; and is face frustratingly calm.

He tightened his grip on Ishida, trying to see if he could knock some sense back into that thick head of his. Did everything they went through in Hueco Mundo mean nothing to him? Wasn't he the one who told him to trust them? And now, he was saying that everything meant nothing to him?

This couldn't be happening it couldn't be real…

XXX

Egged into added the last line for dramatic purposes -.- my brain… it's melting… ack, more plot twist… I'm gonna kill myself thinking how to get outta this 1… zzz….. If u wanna see the shonen-ai hints in here see them… otherwise I treat it as it is… YOU CAN'T KILL ME FOR THAT BALLEAN!!


	9. Segregation

More Ichigo… " I got a rough idea for the storyline already, but writer's block is gonna be the death of me…

XXX

He had stopped coming to school. And although he still lived in that dingy apartment near the school, he never seemed to be home anymore. Guess he really was serious about the training thing. But, he never expected Ishida to completely cut himself off from them like this…

The sudden disappearance of the class's top student had caused a lot of commotion among the students, which in turn gave rise to tons of gossip and rumors. Although some of them were so far-fetched that Ichigo had to suppress an angry outburst, he still kept an ear out for them. As maybe, just, maybe, it could lead him to where Ishida was. But after so many false leads, he was getting increasingly frustrated as time dragged on. All this pent up frustration was also affecting his newly restarted Vaizard training, as he was getting increasingly unfocused. He thought back to the previous night where that lack of focus almost made him hollow bait.

They had been training outside of the abandoned warehouse for the first time. Although Aizen had stopped sending Arrancars to the material world in light of the coming war, more pseudo Arrancars had begun to appear. As a Shinigami representative, it was also his duty to dispatch them accordingly.

That night, he was struggling with a particularly slippery pseudo Arrancar. Shinji and Hiyori's snide comment on his abilities was not doing him any good, and his frustration was peaking. "Bastards! Why the hell don't you come over to help?!" he had shouted at both of them.

"If we did that, ya wouldn't improve, dumbass." Shinji had said.

It made sense, but that didn't stop him from being angry. "What did you sa-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. The hollow's huge hand bore down on him. His eyes widened as he just brought up his sword, barely catching it in time. Straining against the hollow, he tried to push forwards, but at the same time the floor gave way under his feet, and he lost his balance. As Zangetsu was flung to the side, he saw the hollow hand swing downwards again to re-attack. He brought his arms up in front of him and prepared for the impact; but I didn't come. A streak of blue cut between him and the hollow, and the next moment, the hollow let out a bone-chilling cry as it's arm hit the ground in a shower of blood.

"What the hell are you spacing out like an idiot for?! Finish it off!!"

Hiyori broke Ichigo out of his trace. Picking up Zangetsu, he brought it down on the hollow's head, cutting it clean in half. Without stopping to think, he ran wildly around, looking for the archer, swinging his head violently in every direction possible.

When a hand landed on his shoulder, he felt his spirits being lifted. "Ishida!" he shouted and turned around, only to see Shinji there.

"Dumbass, whoever you're looking for, he's already gone,"

Shinji was right; he could not sense Ishida spirit pressure anywhere near them.

"If you keep losing focus like that ya'll just get yerself killed sooner or later. Either that or you'll just give your hollow a chance to take control again."

Ichigo's head jerked as the image of his inner hollow flashed in his mind. The hollow's voice, which was like his own but slightly more high-pitched, rang in his ears.

"… but don't forget that either of us can become the kind or the horse… if you leave even the slightest opening, I'll get rid of you and crush you until there's nothing left..."

He lowered his head, hiding his eyes from view. In his mind, he was contemplating his options. Abandon Ishida and get stronger? Or should he forgo his training in favor of his friend?

"Oi."

He looked up.

"Let's go back." Shinji said before walking away towards Hiyori.

"Yeah…"

XXX

Ishida distracts Ichigo " that's it. I now have to post after I finish each chapter cause I caught up to myself xDD Ishida makes me happy so the next chapter will be him again.. "


	10. Hidden Expectations

I think I left a couple of my brain cells over in Thailand.. but, yay! I managed to vomit this chapter out xD Although I don't see any end in sight for this fic just yet 

XXX

Ishida was leaning against a tree, resting. He was in the same old place again; the clearing in the forest by the river. How his father even knew of this place he didn't know, but he did not want to trouble himself with these irrelevant details. However, the increasing amount of pseudo Arrancars in the area was a huge cause for alarm as it only meant that Aizen was creating more Arrancars. This in turn meant that it would not be long till the Hougyoku awakened.

As the wind changed its course and began blowing towards him, Ishida lifted his head, enjoying that brief, yet wonderful feeling of tranquility. From the beginning of his training, Ryuuken had not given him a moment's rest. Bombarding him with technique after technique, Ishida barely had time to studying, much less anything else. But although he now understood that Ryuuken's terms were a necessary step, it didn't stop him from hating the man.

Looking around at his surroundings, he realized the surreality of that moment. The sounds of flowing water and rustling leaves, as well as the peaceful setting of the clearing made it seem almost like a dream. He couldn't believe that just moments ago, it had felt like some battlefield as he struggled with one new technique after another.

Taking in an intoxicating breath, he let the smell of the clean forest air fill his nostrils.

XXX

It was amazing how the mere presence of someone could change his mood so quickly.

As Ryuuken's spirit pressure appeared on the edge of the clearing, Ishida's previously relaxed features tensed, his brow wrinkled and his calm expression became cold.

Thus began their evaluation process. Executing move after move, Ishida had to respond to his father's attacks with equal speed and power. When he saw that unmistakable shift of reiatsu near his father's bow, he stopped his attacks and got ready; confident that he would be able to execute the next move perfectly.

Although he had only just learned the skill, he didn't hesitate as he lifted his bow to match Ryuuken's speed. He fired, and at the exact same moment, dodged his father's arrow perfectly, watching his arrow soar toward towards Ryuuken. A triumphant look crept over his face as the single shot broke into a shower of arrows which exploded against the ground in a cloud of smoke and rubble.

This was short-lived, as when the dust clear, Ryuuken was still standing; completely unharmed. Ryuuken's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, before that same irritated look crept over his features.

The two Quincys looked at each other, the same cold expression they had mirrored in each other's face. Then, Ryuuken degenerated his bow, and left the clearing.

Ishida heaved a sigh and began packing up his things. Since the first day at the clearing, Ryuuken had given him several techniques everyday before leaving for work. In that short period of time before he returned in the evening, Ishida was to practice the techniques given to him for their daily battle where Ryuuken would evaluate his progress.

But day after day of perfectly executed defensive and offensive techniques had only yielded the same irritated expression; as if he was still lacking in some aspect.

Even upon asking (which tore him up on the inside), Ryuuken had only told him to reflect on the day he regained his powers, which was both ambiguous and unhelpful. But, thinking back to that day, he too felt that that was some clue there that he was missing. It was just the matter of remembering it.

XXX

He had given up on cooking that night, opting for his rarely opened instant food. Even sewing couldn't distract him from the mounting uneasiness that was eating away at his brain. Eventually, he gave up and decided to shower and turn in for the night.

Under the stream of water from the showerhead above, he was staring at his feet. He racked his brain for the details for that faithful day at the hospital training room, but, as far as he was concerned, he had not exchanged any words of significance with his father during the training.

Suddenly, his fingers found the large pentacle-shaped scar splashed across his chest. Then, as if he had received an electric shock, he remembered what his father had said as he was lying on the ground. As if a recording had begun to play, his father's words floated into his head.

"Seriously. Why would you use the Quintuple Binding Frames, if you had used the Sacred bite you could have easily defeated your opponent…"

He had been half-conscious at the time but he knew that what his father said was true. He always avoided killing whenever he could help it. During the first journey into Soul Society, he had wounded many but never went as far as to kill them. He remembered refraining from killing the Arrancars he encountered in the trip to Hueco Mundo; even though they had attacked with the intent to kill.

Was changing his nature the only way? A thousand questions were racing through his mind, but the biggest one was: Why was that decision so hard?

He killed hollows. Yet, he found he couldn't bring himself to deliver the final blow to his opponents; even the Arrancars. That was because, to him, they all that their own consciousness. They all had their own thoughts and feelings. That was why he felt that it wasn't his place to take their lives. Yet, he knew that feelings like this wouldn't only hinder him in the war.

He looked out the window into the star-streaked sky as a tear made it's way down his cheek. Why couldn't they avoid killing?

"Why…"

XXX

Writing late at night impairs my ability to evaluate my own story, so I apologize if this chapter sounds a bit shaky… Next chapter will be up soon… once I find my brain cells…


	11. News

Say hi to the update xD

School is eating my brain….. I can't write anymore T.T

XXX

"That can't be right! Ishida-kun would never do that!"

Orihime's clearly disbelieving voice rang clearly in his mind. Although he hadn't wanted to break the news to Inoue and Chad, he felt that, they, of all people had the right to know.

Physically, he was in the classroom, but nothing the teacher was saying seemed to register to him. Still torn between the choice to drop either his training or his friend, He was moving further and further away from a decision the longer he thought about it.

Both options had their downsides. Dropping his training could affect the entire outcome of the war, but abandoning his friend would eat at his conscience for the rest of his life. Either way, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

The final bell rang and he started to pack.

"I-chi-go!!!" Keigo shouted while attempting to jump on him. Stepping unconsciously out of the way, he watched as Keigo crashed into a row of desks. Not even in the mood to be angry anymore, he just walked away; ignoring his friend's bewildered face.

XXX

Returning home after another futile search, he stalked into his room and collapsed on his bed dejectedly. So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't hear the window sliding open, nor did he notice the two people who had just entered his room; at least until a fist descended on his head.

"Oi! Are you even listening to us?!" a female voice rang out.

Sitting up, his eyes widened in surprise as in saw the two familiar faces in front of him. However, something about their serious expressions told him it wasn't going to be a pleasant visit.

"Rukia, Renji, What are you doing here?" he finally managed, his mouth feeling unnaturally dry.

XXX

"That idiot!"

Ichigo was tearing down the street. He didn't care that it was late, or that it was freezing cold that night. Blood pounded in his ears as the information he had just heard echoed inside his head.

"The balance of souls has been placed in jeopardy again. Large numbers of hollows that have been appearing recently have been completely destroyed. With the war fast approaching, Soul Society can't afford anymore problems." Rukia had explained quickly.

XXX

He turned around the corner into the empty park. Cursing loudly, he doubled back and continued searching. Where the hell could he be?!

."That doesn't mean shit! You can't say it's him just from that!" Ichigo had argued.

"Do you really think we would do something like that?" Renji had interjected.

Ichigo didn't even know how to argue back, but his clearly confused expression prompted them to go on.

"A team from the technological bureau that was recently dispatched to a battle site obtained some leftover spirit particles. The results that came in showed that it matched Ishida's."

"Ichigo, he's in serious trouble… "

After that point Ichigo didn't wait to hear more. Before he knew it, he had jumped out of the window and was bolting down the street…

"What the hell does he think he's playing at pulling some stupid move like that?!"

XXX

Ever since they had returned from Hueco Mundo, although he didn't tell anyone, Ishida had refrained from finishing off the hollows he faced, leaving the final blow to his shinigami counterpart. Ichigo knew he was doing it to avoid trouble, so what the hell was going on now?

"We'll try to delay his capture for a bit, but you have to do it fast!" Rukia has called after him.

That one beacon of hope was enough for him.

XXX

He wasn't completely confident that his plan was going to work, but he figured that, no matter how late, Ishida had to come home at some point. As he came to a stop in front of the dimly lit apartment block. He took a deep breath and made his way up to the Quincy's unit. Now, all he could do was wait…

XXX

Looks like he had been right all along. Although arrow after arrow aimed at the older Quincy's vital spots had been dodged cleanly, the look of surprise it had drawn from him was satisfying enough.

The training session ended quickly enough, but, instead of the usual look of irritation Ishida had grown accustomed to, he saw a look of satisfaction, creep over Ryuuken's features. Strangely enough, Ishida suddenly felt a sense of accomplishment flood his body, but the lingering uneasiness in the pit of his stomach still remained.

XXX

Since the beginning, he knew that his actions would lead into trouble sooner or later, but he wasn't turning back. Quincy powers completely destroyed hollows, he had known this from the start, and after that first fateful trip to Soul Society, having lost his powers, he did not have a reason to dwell on that. However, now was a completely different case.

Raising his arm out in front of him, he looked at the cross dangling from his wrist. If his mind was truly made up, why was he still so confused?

All of a sudden, an ominously familiar reaitsu invaded his senses. Jerking his head upwards, he felt his mind go numb as it slowly got closer. How could he have missed it?! As the familiar figure approached, he felt like running, but he had somehow lost control of his body. When the figure came to a stop, Ishida gulped, feeling a huge sense of dejavu.

XXX

Plot bunnies have been evading me so far so I'm sorry if the chapter stinks


	12. Understanding

Last chapter(Finally!!) Due to school I probably can't write much anymore but I guess I can still try some oneshots xD.

XXX

"Thank God I was right." Ichigo thought.

"What the hell is he doing here?!"  
Ishida felt his grip on the metal stairway railing tighten as his 'friend' walked up to him, frozen with shock and something he couldn't place, at the end of the dimly lit corridor.

It all boiled down to this moment. Walking slowly and purposefully towards the Quincy, Ichigo wasn't even thinking of what he was going to say and do. At that point, he was ready to beat the Quincy within an inch of Soul Society if it would get him back. For his sake as well as everyone else's.

"Kurosaki." Ishida said as Ichigo stopped roughly an elbow's width away. They looked at each other briefly before a fist was swung upwards.

Feeling his fist make contact with the Quincy's sharp jawbone felt strangely satisfying as he watched Ishida stumble backwards, falling to the ground and at the same time, knocking up a cloud of dust.

He hadn't seen that coming. Or maybe he had but the shock had somehow numbed his reactions. Before he knew it, he was sprawled on the ground, hands cupped around the bruise forming on the side of his jaw. Fair enough, he thought.

Regaining his composure, he straightened again, brushing and his clothes and liberating yet another cloud of dust into the air. There were a million options open for him at that moment. He could have chosen to talk it out, run, or even throw a punch himself, but he chose the simplest one and went, "If that's all then I'll be leaving," in the cold voice he had honed to perfection over the years of solitude and hatred. However, with Ichigo blocking the already narrow corridor, this was next to impossible.

After a moment of frustrating silence, he spoke again. "You don't give up, do you? I'm going home now so would you mind moving?" His voice was cold with an undertone of annoyance.

Ichigo had taken more than he could stand.

Feeling an iron grip clamp down on his wrist, he slapped the hand away as quickly as possible, keeping his expression stony and unreadable.

"What the hell do you want, Ishida?" the soul-reaper had finally said.

"_Excuse _me? I think that should be my line" he retorted still looking for a chance to push past.

"Weren't you the one who asked me to believe in my friend? In my comrades?"

Ishida felt as though he wanted to scream. Hadn't they already gone through this?

Hadn't he gotten the message through very clearly?

"I said it before, things are diff-"

"What's different?! What else has changed between all of us other than that damned deal with your father?!" Ichigo shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. Each echo to Ishida was like a knife piercing through him with each rebound.

After yet another long silence, Ishida couldn't take it anymore. In a quiet voice, he said: "Can I ask _you_ something? Why are you going so far for me? You have other, better, friends, so why do still insist in chasing after me?"

Ichigo, who has been silent up to this point, felt that he had to voice out his opinion. "Aren't _you _our friend?"

For once, Ishida didn't know what to say, because somehow, no matter how he tried to deny it, to throw it away, it was the truth.

Silence ensued for the umpteenth time that day, but then, Ichigo surprised the both of them by taking a step back.

"I won't force you anymore, but I have one last thing to say to you. After this you can do as you very well damned please."

Taking a look that the Quincy's face, lit up only marginally by the smudged fluorescent lamps overhead, he took his look of confusion as the cue to go on.

"Everyone is believing in you right now you know. Inoue, Chad, heck, even Rukia and Renji." He said, thinking back to the conversation in his room. "…and despite how corny this is gonna sound, I believe in you." He said. The sincerity in his voice almost felt like a slap on the face for Ishida.

Having said what he needed to, he turned and walked off; leaving the Quincy in his stunned silence.

XXX

He didn't know how or when, but he had somehow made it back home.

Sitting on his bed, he was trying to clear the storm raging in his mind. It wasn't as if what Ichigo has said was especially articulate or convincing. But the reason it was having such a large impact was because, he felt that of all the things he has heard in the passing years after his grandfather was killed, those were one of the truest and one of the most earnest ones. Things that he once thought were definite, were once again thrown into doubt.

XXX

Thinking back to his training session, it was obvious that Ryuuken would only give instructions and not guidance, meaning that Ishida was expected to pave his own way to power.

Paving his own way to power…

Suddenly, it was all so clear. Understanding, and the determination it brought, flooding his mind and body, he set off on his final task to set every things right again…

XXX

As Ryuuken entered the clearing, he saw a familiar piece of folded paper on the smooth surface of the rock in place of his son, and for the first time in years, a small smile of satisfaction spread across his sharp features. Picking up the final note from his son, he tucked it into his breast pocket before turning to leave.

XXX

He was going to be late, but his legs continued to move forward of their own accord as he tore down the street. His spirit was high and the weight in his heart had been lifted. He understood, that Ryuuken had been threatening his friends to let him understand that merely attaining the power to protect his friends wasn't enough to do so, he understood that in order to save them he had to fight and believe in them with his heart, mind, body and soul. After the arrow has struck and the dust had cleared, he could see the images of his friends, hands open wide, trusting and resolute. The dream finally had an ending.

XXX

He hadn't showed up. He was late, but Ichigo believed that he would show up.

"Kurosaki-san, it almost time. Perhaps the three of you would like to get ready?" Urahara said, shrewd eyes peering out from under his striped hat.

"Give him a few more minutes." Ichigo said, his voice betraying a hint of anxiety.

"Kurosaki-kun!!" Orihime shouted, pointing over to the figure that had appear at the gate.

"You sure took your time, huh?" Ichigo said, smirking.

Face flushed from the exercise he had done, Ishida smiled softly.

"Let's go."

"Yeah."

Although they were marching into war, Ishida never felt more confident. Black robes and white cloth billowing in their wake, the Quincy and the Shinigami walked towards a new beginning…

Owari

XXX

Still a beginner so tell me what ya think XD


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